Persistence Pays Off: Aakriti Dahiya Wins Maiden Senior International Medal After Seven Years
Seven years after making her senior international debut, Indian shooter Aakriti Dahiya finally broke through on the global stage, winning her first senior international medal — a silver in the women’s 50m 3 Positions event at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026 at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.
The 24-year-old produced a strong final to score 354.2, finishing second behind Kazakhstan’s Sofiya Shulzhenko, who set a world record with 358.2. Indian Olympian Anjum Moudgil clinched bronze with 340.4, while Ashi Chouksey placed fourth with 330.9 .
“This is my first international medal in 50m, and it feels very special,” Aakriti said. “The event is more challenging — wind, three positions — and that’s what pushes me to improve,” she added .
Aakriti, who began training seriously in 50m three-position only two years ago, also helped India secure team silver with a combined qualification score of 1756. Kazakhstan topped the team standings with 1760, while Japan took bronze with 1730 .
Interestingly, she revealed that she is still training with a rented 50m rifle, calling this medal a major confidence boost as she prepares for upcoming national trials.
